Music Mentors

To everyone involved in our program, many thanks. We appreciate your support and have greatly enjoyed offering this service.

Music Mentors is letting everyone know our program is ending. After six years we are closing shop. It is a bittersweet decision. The bitter part is ending a successful program and seeing it come to an end. The sweet part is what we have seen the last six years. Middle school students connecting with their mentors and in effect connecting more with music. Parents encouraging their kids to continue to invest and improve their musical skills. High School teachers promoting our program to get their students to mentor. And most importantly, all the high school students who have given up their time over the summer to volunteer for our program. That has been a truly humbling and inspiring experience seeing our mentors at work.

When our family started Music Mentors, we had no idea how it would take off. With the support of Lakeside Arts Park, who generously donated rooms for us, we were able to launch our program. Each year our program grew. We started out with 12 mentors (volunteers) and 16 mentee’s (students). Last year we had over 40 mentees including something new… voice instruction. Our program would not have achieved the success we had without the support of the community. Mr. Levin from Central High School eagerly assisted us in getting his high school students to volunteer. Mr. Guynes, Mrs. Sedivik, and Mr. Kahovec from Lundahl were extremely helpful and supportive in getting the word out for Music Mentors. My wife Janet, who gave up her summers for six years organizing, monitoring, and implementing the program. And most importantly, my children, who not only volunteered their time but also did some heavy recruiting amongst their friends for Music Mentors.

We have enjoyed our time running Music Mentors, but it is time to say our goodbyes. This has truly been a wonderful experience for us. Janet, my family, and I appreciate the opportunity we have been given to being involved in a program such as this. We hope everyone, students, teachers, parents, and volunteers, got as much out of the program as we got in providing it. We are also hopeful that the passion for music that volunteers and instructors in the community continue.

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato

Crystal Lake area high school students are offering their services to McHenry County area youth. Music Mentors is for students, Grades 5th through 8th who are currently enrolled in their school Band or choral program. Mentors (high school volunteers) will offer guidance and suggestions for students during the summer to hone their skills. This not only allows youth to keep up with their skills over the summer, but to connect with a high school student who shares the same passion for music as they do. Mentors also get to experience of the wonderful feeling of volunteering and investing in someone’s learning.

Music Mentors was created in 2011. We are housed at Lakeside Legacy who has been kind enough to donate their space to us. Each year our program has grown, both in volunteers and participants. Mentors from six area high schools have participated in our program. Mentee’s come from eight local schools to participate in our program. Each year we have averaged over twenty families that are receiving mentoring from our volunteers. In 2016 we added voice to our program and have received an enthusiastic response from both Mentors and Mentee’s.